Automatic locking-switch and signal.



LIVESEY.

' AUTOMATIC LOCKING SWITCH AND SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.I. 2911.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

TTORNEY OLIN WILLIAM LIVESEY, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC LOCKING-SWITCH AND SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

Application filed February 1, 1917. Serial No. 145,972.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIN WILLIAM LIVE- SEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented a new and useful Automatic Locking-Switch and Signal.

My invention relates to improvements in switches for railroads and has for its main object the providing of means for locking theswitch in a closed position with signal set at safety, and providing means for automatically setting a danger signal if the switch is not locked although the switch is closed. Another object is to provide means for preventing the display of a safety signal unless the switch is closed, and another object is to make a switch stand that will dispense with side lights.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from a careful consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the switch stand and signals, Fig. 2 a plan of same, and Fig. 3' a detached view of switch plate. Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views. 1, represents support legs for the switch plate 2, 3 is a support frame for the signal arms 4 and 5 and lamp receptacle 6, 7 is a green glass and 8 a red glass, set in the arms 4 and 5 which are mounted on pivots 9 and 10 in the frame 3. Attached to the arms 4 and 5 are levers 11 and 12, connected by the link rod 13, 14 is a lever attached to the lever 12. 15 is a rod connecting lever 14 and lever 16 which is mounted on the shaft 17 in the bracket 18 which is attached to plate 2. Connected to the lever 16 by the links 19 is the signal operating lever 20 pivoted on pin 21 in bracket 22 which is attached to the plate 2. 23 is the switch operating lever and is pivoted on pin 24 in strap 25 which is fastened to the vertical rod 26 by pin 27. The

rod 26 has a bearing 28 in plate 2 and a hearing 29 attached to the-supporting ties 30. 31 is a crank attached to or forming part of rod 26. On the crank is a pin 32 on which the connecting rod 33 is pivoted. The rod 33 is connected with the switch rail 34. 35 is a rod connecting another rail to move in unison with the switch rail. 36 is a projection on signal lever 20 which fits into a receiving socket 37 on switch lever 23. 38

represents a lock which is controlled by a key and locks the two levers 20, and 23 together. 39 is a slot in the plate 2 into which the switch lever 23 fits when the switch is closed. 40 is a slot for holding the lever 23 when swung around in the open switch position. 41 is a plate pivoted on pin 42 in the plate 2. 43 is a crank lever attached to turn with switch rod 26. 44 is a rod connecting crank lever 43 with pivoted plate 41 by pins 45 and 46'.

The operation is as follows:

When the switch is closed the lever 23 will be over the slot 39 in plate 2, into which it will drop when released. To look the switch in this position, the lever 20 is raised and with it through the links 19, the short arm of lever 16 is raised and the long arm is lowered. This will pull down on rod 15 which will turn the signal arms 4 and 5 down at a predetermined angle through the lever 14, pivot 9, lever 12, red 13, lever 11 and pivot 10. In this position the green glass 7 covers the opening in the lamp receptacle, through which the light shines, and thus a green or safety light will be displayed.

lVhen the levers 23 and 20 are not locked together, the lever 20 will drop and throw the signal arms 4 and 5 up at right angles, so that the red glass covers the opening in the lamp receptacle thus displaying a red or danger signal. When in this position the switch lever 23 can be raised out of the slot 39 and swung around to slot 40 which is the open switch position. As long as the two levers 23 and 20 are not locked together the signal will automatically indicate danger. To prevent the switch being opened when the lever 20 is raised to show the safety signal. a lock bar 46 is provided for locking the switch lever in the closed switch position so it cannot be turned, and also prevent the safety signal lever 20 from being raised if the switch is open. The lock block 46 is made to slide vertically through opening 49 in the plate 2 and in the guides 48 in which slide the horizontal portions 47 of the lock bar 46. The lock bar is raised through the opening 49 by the lever 20, and enters the space between the two sides of the strap 25, thus preventing it from turning while the signal shows safety. To prevent the signals being set at safety when the switch is open, the safety locking plate is provided, in which 41. is a flat plate pivoted at 42 on the plate 2, and connected to a crank 43 on the switch rod 26 by the rod 44 and pins 45 and 46. When the switch is open the plate is thrown so as to cover the opening 49, which will prevent the bar d6 from being raised and thus prevent the signal lever 20 from being raised to show safety. When the switch is closed the plate will be turned to clear the opening l9 and allow the block and lever to be raised and show safety signals.

It will be seen by the above combination of parts that a most useful and eiiicient invention has been evolved which will be of great benefit to railroads.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction shown, but claim the right to modifications of the principle shown.

I claim,

1. In an automatic locking switch and signal of the class described, a switch stand,

a switch rod pivotally mounted in said switch stand, a switch lever for turning said switch rod, a bell crank lever. on said switch rod, connecting rod between said bell crank lever and rail road switch, a signal lever pivoted at one end on said switch stand, an independently pivoted lever under the said signal lever the short arm of which is pivotally connected to the said signal lever, a rod connecting the long arm of the said independently pivoted lever with a bell crank lever pivoted on said switch stand, a signal. arm swinging with the said bell crank-lever and on same pivot, a green glass lens and a red glass lens being spaced in said signal arm, a lamp receptacle mounted on the said switch stand, a suitable lamp in the said receptacle adapted to be covered by the said green glass lens when said signal arm is dropped at an angle and by the red glass lens when the said arm is in a horizontal position; a duplicate signal arm mounted to swing in unison with the said signal arm by suitable connecting rods and levers, a key lock on said signal lever the bolt of which is adapted to look into said switch lever when the said levers are brought together.

2. In an automatic locking switch and signal of the class described, a switch lever mounted in a suitable stand with connecting rods and levers to open or close a switch, a signal lever for raising and lowering signal arms with colored lights to show a safety signal. when raised and a danger signal when dropped back by gravity, blocking means to prevent the signal lever from bein raised unless the said switch is closed, an means to prevent the switch being open if unlocked and held up to display a safety signal, substantially as shown.

3. In an automatic locking switch and signal of the class described, a vertical switch rod turning in suitable bearings in a supporting frame, a crank on the lower end of said vertical switch rod, a rod connecting said crank with the switch rails, a U-shaped strap attached to the top of said vertical switch rod, a switch lever pivoted in the said U-shaped strap, a plate under said U-shaped strap with a slot to receive the said lever when the said switch is closed by the said lever, a slot to receive the said lever when the same is turned to the open switch position,'a signal lever pivoted in a bracket under said plate and in line with said switch lever when in the closed position of said switch; a supporting bracket mounted on the said supporting frame, a lamp receptacle supported by the said bracket, a suitable lamp in said receptacle, pivoted signal arms adja cent to the said lamp receptacle, bell cranklevers and rods connecting the said pivoted signal arms with the said signal lever, colored glass lenses in said signal arms adapted to cover the openings in said lamp receptacle to show a safety signal when the said signal lever is raised and a danger signal when the said signal lever is dropped by gravity, a lock on said signal lever interlocking with the said switch lever when the same is dropped into the closed switch position and signal is raised to meet said switch lever, thereby displaying a safety signal, a vertical locking bar adapted to be raised by said signal lever and interposed in the said U shaped strap to hold the same from turning,

a disk pivoted on said plate, connecting levers from said disk to said vertical switch rod arranged so as to keep the said opening covered in said plate to prevent said looking bar from being raised when said switch is open and thus prevent the raising of said signal lever to safety position; said disk being arranged to uncover the said opening when said switch is closed to allow the said signal lever to be raised and locked at safety.

OLIN WVILLIAM LIVESEY.

Cepies of this patent may be obtained. for fiv'e cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 63! 

